Filed under: Famous Homes, Celebrity Homes, Cool Homes
Jane Fonda's Atlanta home is as interesting as her acting career. Here, 5 ideas inspired by her unique decorating style.Actress and activist Jane Fonda burned and blazed her own path through life: She stirred up controversy during the Vietnam War, made millions on a slew of exercise videos, married and divorced a billionaire and earned two Oscar statuettes plus five more nominations.
It should be no surprise then that her unique and personal style is reflected in the décor of her celebrity-style loft in Atlanta that has a quirky entrance hall she herself compared to a "womb with a narrow birth channel."
Photo: Nathan Martin, Getty Images
Fonda bought her Hotlanta loft in 2000 after splitting from media tycoon Ted Turner. The duplex has 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a voluminous main living space with soaring windows and double height ceilings and a petite but expertly equipped kitchen. The Hollywood royal, who recently relocated to Los Angeles, heaved her loft in the A-T-L on to the market in May of 2010 with a price tag of $4.5 million, an optimistic number that's since been slashed to $1.95 million. Fonda also put the loft up for lease with an asking price of $10,000 per month and word on the celebrity real estate street is that Queen Latifah recently rented the place while in Atlanta to make a movie.
While it will cost you two million clams to buy Fonda's loft, there are some great decorating ideas that can be easily recreated on a non-celebrity budget.
Create Invisible Walls
Fonda's long living room is split into two living areas with the smart placement of her sofa and accent chairs. Rather than trying to create one large space with accent chairs at either end of her couch, she put them back to back with her sofa. One one side she can watch TV or snuggle in front of the fireplace. On the other side, she can sit with a friend and sip tea. In between the chairs and sofa is a console where she's displayed some eco-chic bowls. Nifty use of space!
Go All-White With Slipcovers and Paint
Fonda kept the palette of her loft's main living area neutral with bleached blond hardwood floors, creamy white walls and winter white sofas and armchairs. The pale palette allows the color from the artwork and books to pop dramatically.
It's extra simple to copy her white-washed space: Paint your walls, ceilings and furniture a crisp white and slipcover your furniture in white. Voila! While it may not be practical for many folks with children and/or pets to spend a lot of money on white furniture, slip covers that can be easily removed and laundered are a practical and affordable option for keeping white sofas looking crisp and clean.
Photo: Nathan Martin
Don't Underestimate the Power of Plants
In Fonda's dining room a quintet of miniature cacti in identical shallow pots not only add visual interest to the room but also inject a bit of color into an otherwise monochromatic space. Most local nurseries and mass-market retailers like Home Depot sell a variety of miniature cacti and other plants such as mother's tongue and bamboo that can be clustered to create interesting tabletop tableau.
Don't be limited to just plant materials. Those without the gift of a green thumb can take a cue from decorators and add a grouping of vintage glass, ceramic vessels and/or other funky objet d'art.
Mix Materials in the Dining Room
Fonda must host lively dinner parties at her extra large wooden dining table (which is actually two identical tables pushed together), but we love the way she added sleek modern chairs around it, rather than choosing heavy wooden ones to match. Consider replacing your dining table's matching chairs with a contrasting material. Or pick up several mismatched chairs from flea markets and scatter them around. Cheap chic at its best!
Photo: Nathan Martin
Have Fun in the Bedroom
Fonda really let her decorative flag fly in the master bedroom that features a one-of-a-kind glass fireplace surround, a super-fuzzy flokati rug, an über-femme white tufted chaise and a whimsical canopy bed fitted with bedazzled bed linens. We're not sure we want to re-create this room, but we do appreciate that Fonda decorated a room just for her.
Consider the bedroom your space to make a mark. Whether you want it to be whimsical or eclectic, don't be afraid to make it a reflection of who you are. This is especially fun when the rest of your home is neutral and simple, like Fonda's.
Now that you've seen inside, check out the details of the deal -- and see more of the place on AOL Real Estate.
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Cheap Chic Ideas From Gwyneth Paltrow's Bedroom
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